Nested Battery Spacer Plates for Compact Storage

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing battery cell spacer plates occupy a large amount of space due to their structured design, making transportation inefficient and requiring significant storage space, especially when stacked.

Innovation Solution

The use of spacer plates of different dimensions, with varying lengths of basic and tip profile sections, allows for favorable nesting and adjustment, enabling efficient stacking and transport by allowing plates to be broken for width adjustment and providing even stress distribution during insertion.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If spacer plates are designed with structured profile formations to ensure proper spacing, then spacing function is improved, but storage space efficiency deteriorates due to large volume occupied during transport

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvespacing functionVSAvoidstorage space
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSVolume of stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies nesting by stacking multiple spacer plates of different dimensions vertically, where smaller plates are positioned within the footprint of larger plates. The stack comprises a first spacer plate with a first footprint, a second spacer plate with a second footprint smaller than the first, and a third spacer plate with a third footprint smaller than the second, creating a nested configuration that minimizes the overall storage volume while maintaining the structural integrity and spacing function of each plate

Inventive Principle:
Principle #7Nested doll (Nesting)

2Ease of manufacture

If all spacer plates in the stack have the same dimensions, then manufacturing simplicity is improved, but nesting efficiency deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemanufacturing simplicityVSAvoidstorage space
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSVolume of stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies local quality by varying the dimensions of spacer plates at different positions within the stack. Instead of uniform dimensions throughout, each spacer plate is designed with specific dimensional characteristics appropriate to its position - the first spacer plate has the largest dimensions, the second has intermediate dimensions, and the third has the smallest dimensions, optimizing the nesting configuration for minimal storage volume

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

3Stability of the object's composition

If spacer plates are made with uniform dimensions, then structural consistency is improved, but adaptability to different spacing requirements deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvestructural consistencyVSAvoidspacing adjustment
Core Design Contradiction:
Stability of the object's compositionVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies segmentation by dividing the spacer plate system into multiple discrete plates with different dimensions rather than using a single uniform plate design. The stack comprises separately manufactured spacer plates with varying footprints and profile formations, each capable of providing the required spacing function while accommodating different battery cell configurations and spacing requirements

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Data Source

PatentEP2684236B1Battery-cell spacing plates combined to form a stack
Publication Date: 2015.04.22 HAGEMANN SYST GMBH
  • EP2684236B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP2684236B1 patent drawingFigure 3
  • EP2684236B1 patent drawingFigure 4a~4b

AI summary

The invention relates to battery-cell spacing plates (1, 2) combined to form a stack (10), wherein each spacing plate has a plurality of profile formations (3, 4) aligned in the longitudinal direction of the spacing plate, wherein furthermore each profile formation (3, 4) is formed in particular as a rectangular formation by several profile sections (5, 6, 7) extending relative to each other preferably so as to include an angle with respect to a cross-section perpendicular to a plane extension of the spacing plates (1, 2), and wherein furthermore at least one base profile section (8) extends parallel to the plane (E) in which the spacing plate (1, 2) extends, and formation profile sections (5, 7) extend at an angle a to the plane (E). In order to specify a favorable combination of battery-cell spacing plates in a stack and to provide spacing plates suitable therefor, the stack (10) in any case has two spacing plates (1, 2) of different dimensions at least regarding the length (L) of the base profile sections (8, 9) when there is a total of three or more spacing plates (1, 2) combined in the stack, and a spacing plate (1) of a first dimension is covered on both sides by spacing plates (2) of a second dimension in the cross-section. The invention further relates to a battery cell having a plurality of electrode plates and/or a combination of battery cells.